Flyers falter in New Jersey, fall to 0-3

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, right, blocks a shot by Philadelphia Flyers left wing Ruslan Fedotenko, of the Ukraine, during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEWARK, N.J. – Now they’re oh-and-3, and even though they managed to get a little indignant while they were being embarrassed Tuesday night, the Flyers really weren’t all that competitive in a 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

At least not in a smart way, they weren’t.

Against their nearest rivals, essentially the same team - except for the absence of former captain Zach Parise - that knocked them out of the playoffs last spring, the Flyers played their worst of three-and-counting flopping losses in this post-lockout season. For only the third time in franchise history, the Flyers - who never lost three in a row last season until the playoffs - have started a season 0-3.

From the looks of things, they’re just getting started. Once again the primary culprit was their special teams, which have been special so far only because of their level of incompetence.

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Against the Devils, the Flyers won the battle on the shots scoreboard, but once again couldn’t buy any luck on the power play and continue to struggle mightily on the penalty kill. At least by falling behind early and reacting with anger first and determination second, the Flyers gave goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and their penalty killing units plenty of practice at acting as shooting targets.

Yet the Devils started the scoring with the teams at even strength, and with just 1:07 gone in the first period.

The porous Flyers defense allowed Dainius Zubrus to carry the puck through the neutral zone, step right around one guy, blow past another and go behind the net before zipping a pass out to the right point. There, Bryce Salvador threw a shot toward net, and the only player in the way was Devils teammate Travis Zajac, who knocked the puck down in front of Bryzgalov, then flipped a backhander in for 1-0.

That defensive breakdown was soon surpassed by the Flyers’ awful special teams play.

As usual, the Devils were playing very aggressively, resulting in consecutive power plays for the Flyers. But Marty Brodeur, en route to his 120th career shutout (10 against the Flyers) and career win No. 658, was barely bothered during them as the Flyers’ power play shuffled at that point to 1-for-13 on the season.

The Flyers actually didn’t have a bad first period, not when you consider the Devils would go more than 12 minutes without a shot. In the final minute of the period, however, Braydon Coburn was called for interference, and it took all of 10 seconds for the Devils to take advantage. All it took was for David Clarkson to throw a puck toward the slot, and it bounced off Ruslan Fedotenko’s skate and took a left into the net with just 25 seconds left in the period.

The reason it went in so easily? Bryz the Dizz had somehow lost his stick just before then.

The Flyers, having proven to be clueless on the penalty kill, again were asked to try their hands at the power play. Before long, Ilya Kovalchuk was picking some cherries at the blue line just when Kimmo Timonen was committing a turnover. Kovy was thus sprung on a breakaway, and was pulled down from behind by Timonen.

That brought on a fan’s dream - a penalty shot, and with one of the most skilled players in the world going against a fellow Ilya who is decidedly unskilled in shootout situations. Predictably, Kovalchuk easily lifted it top shelf for a 3-0 Devils lead.

It was pretty much over then, though Bryzgalov did very well to keep it a three-goal game as the Devils’ power-play unit had him flying around, especially during a two-man advantage that went for 1:11 in the second.

The third period was rather eventless, save for some fisted flailing as the Flyers tried to make themselves feel better. At least they gave their penalty kill students plenty of practice time again. Maybe another six-day training camp for the whole team is the remedy they really need.